Sal from Already Pretty kindly tagged me with a 2008 Premio Award, which means this is the perfect opportunity to introduce you to some more fabulous fashion bloggers:

Broke & Beautiful, unbridled enthusiasm for affordable fashion
Cute But Affordable, a keen eye for all things cheap and chic
Economy of Style, impeccable taste, approachable budget
Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog, smart, sophisticated, and stylish
Shoe Smitten, the authority on fabulous footwear
Budget Lexicon, straight talk on how to live rich for less
Fatal Attraction 2 Fashion, incredibly inspiring perspectives on fashion

The rules for passing on the award:
1) When received, you may post the premio to your blog.
2) Link to the blogger you received it from.
3) Give it to 7 blogs
4)… link to those 7 blogs
5)…and leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

XOXO,
BB

From Yahoo! Finance: "Steve & Barry's LLC, once a growing force in low-priced fashion retailing, said Wednesday that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the latest merchant to succumb to a harsh consumer spending climate."

"It joins home furnishings chain Linen 'n Things Inc., catalog retailer Lillian Vernon Corp. and specialty retailer Sharper Image Corp. in filing for bankruptcy protection this year."

Judging by the initial response we got from readers after we reported that Steve & Barry's was in trouble, they won't be missed very much. Sad, but true!

The Budget Babe's International Travel Advisor Fifi LaMode makes a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. —BB


by Fifi LaMode
I've wanted to visit Lourdes since I was a child, so I went on a tour of the shrines of France. After seeing a bunch of churches in Paris, we set off for Lisieux in Normandy to see the home and shrine of St. Therese. Ah, the French countryside. Lisieux is low-key, friendly, much cheaper than Paris (note: Once you leave Paris, everything is about 20% cheaper.) A plate of cheese, fresh bread and a glass of Cotes du Rhone and I'm rejuvenated. All for under $12 US. Love this place. Bought a St. Therese cake, and the proceeds go to the St. Therese school for pastry chefs - now that's a worthy cause if ever there was one, encouraging French pastry chefs. Yes.

Now about Lourdes. At first glance I thought I was in Las Vegas for holy people. The shops have all sorts of junk, from Virgin Mary night lights to schlocky bracelets with saints, popes, kitty cats, you name it. Then I attended a French Mass in the Basilica and the candlelight procession. What a moving experience to see folks from all over the world praying together and being nice to each other. It grows on you. What's there to see? Well, for starters, the Grotto where the Virgin appeared to Bernadette. Get as much holy water as you want - it's free. Bring your own containers or buy anything from vials to gallon jugs or used Evian bottles. I filled mine up and used it as drinking water. Better than Evian.

To celebrate the roll-out of dozens of The CUBE in-store boutiques, Marshalls is giving shoppers the chance to win a gift card for $100 or more. Check out the widget above to enter!

Steve & Barry's is in big trouble, according to The Wall Street Journal. The chain, which specializes in university sportswear and carries celeb endorsed lines such as Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dear by Amanda Bynes, and Eleven by Venus Williams, is said to be closing 100 stores, and may face total liquidation unless emergency financing can be found.

I won't be shedding any tears. The first and last time I ever stepped into a Steve & Barry's store was when SJP launched her Bitten line, and since that was a huge disappointment, I have no reason whatsoever to shop there. If Steve & Barry's does, in fact, get liquidated, the fate of Bitten is yet unknown...I'm hoping that this, er, setback, would give rise to a new fashion collection by Parker.

Perhaps she could redeem herself by teaming up with H&M or Topshop. Heck, even if she did a collection for Kohl's or JCPenney's we'd be happier. Somehow I don't see Target tapping that. Sure hope they don't get licensed to Sears or heaven forbid, Kmart. Uh oh...what if Walmart scoops that up? Whatever happens, nothing could be worse than what she did for Steve & Barry's - right??

Will you be sorry to see Steve & Barry's go?